The Rugby World Cup final at a sold-out Twickenham will be a special moment for women's rugby, said the England captain, Zoe Aldcroft, after her team sealed a date with Canada in next Saturday's showpiece with a 35-17 win over France.
The Red Roses were put under pressure by France but they remained patient and came through with the full-back Ellie Kildunne scoring two of the five tries scored.
Related: Ellie Kildunne double takes England past France and into World Cup final
It has set up a final against Canada at the home of English rugby where a new world record for a women's rugby match attendance is to be set. The record currently stands at 58,498, set at Twickenham in 2023 for a Six Nations match between England and France.
"It's absolutely incredible," Aldcroft said. "It's a credit to the work that has gone in behind the scenes and building this tournament. Having a sold-out Twickenham is just the most special thing for women's rugby and the future ahead. I think this is just the start of it now and I cannot wait to see what is to come."
Criticisms may be aimed at England's performance against France but the head coach, John Mitchell, said he had swiftly drawn a line under the result.
He said: "France is gone, this [final] is a different contest. It will be played differently as a result of the opposition, they have strengths and weaknesses. It's a matter who initiates those first and exploits them and in the meantime you remain calm and build pressure on them. All the same factors we have been using in the tournament will stand out in that preparation.
"We have earned the right to contest the final. It's a new game in itself now. No one really remembers how you got there. No one will remember how we won today over time ... The two best teams in the world are in the final, how good is that? We are one, [Canada are two]. They deserve to be there, they have been playing outstandingly."
Kildunne will be a key element of the final next week after another player-of-the-match performance against France. "She is special isn't she?" said Mitchell. "She deserves her accolades, last year's world player of the year. She is still very young, everyone puts her on a poster and superstars her but she is a humble girl.
"She is not a woman you box. She is inspired by autonomy, she only needs a little bit of structure. She is dealing with life very well because she is put on a pedestal and it's quite new to her in her life so it's quite important we support her in that space but allow her to chase her goals."